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Thanks, Gin. I will probably take it down tomorrow to make feeding a little easier for mama and papa. They are truly heroic out there–hanging in all day long in this oppressive heat–and never a cloud in the sky. The sun is just blazing. Poor birds just can’t get a break. I just hope these babies can hang on. There is just no end in sight for this miserable weather.
Susan
PennsylvaniaWe have been in the nineties here in south central PA for a week. I have one of those “weather stations” that tells me the outdoor temperature. Right now, at 9:17 a.m., it is already 94 degrees in the sun. Heat indexes have been over 100 each day. Each evening, when I see the parents outside of the house, I go down for a peek. To be honest, I always prepare to see the worst, but I open the box and the little heads are waving in there! They are only six days from hatch, so I know we still have a long way to go. Temperatures are supposed to come down into the 80’s next week. I hope so.
Susan
PennsylvaniaWhitney: Where do your mocking birds nest? I have a family of mocking birds, and they are very comical to watch. I really like them (as long as they aren’t bullying the bluebirds too much!). They seem to spend a lot of time high in one of my pine trees, but I don’t know where the nest is. Every morning and every evening I make a line of plump blueberries on the rail that encloses my deck. One by one the blueberries disappear as the mockers come in and take them. Yesterday, the mocker knocked a blueberry off the rail, and he looked so funny chasing it as it rolled across the deck. . .those little legs were really moving.
Susan
PennsylvaniaI have to admit that I am very worried. Each day that I look in and they are still okay, I breathe a sigh of relief!
Susan
PennsylvaniaCongratulations, Dana. I wish the babies from my first brood had survived. However, I have five tough little babies battling this heatwave right now. I am hoping for a better outcome with this group. I have never seen babies helping parents with new babies, but I agree, it would be fun to witness it. Congrats, again.
Susan
PennsylvaniaI know what you mean. I have five babies right now, and the heat is just dreadful. At least my bluebirds took up residence in the larger tree swallow house, so it’s a pretty broad nest.
Susan
PennsylvaniaHi Carol: Yes, I do have styrofoam shields on the top and west-facing side of the house with about 1 inch of gap between the house and the shield. Right now, the wren guard is providing a good deal of shade to the front of the house, but that will come down soon, and this heat wave is predicted to continue into next week. The eggs hatched last Sunday (16th). Should I remove the wren guard this Sunday at 7 days? I also don’t think that my bluebirds are getting meal worms because the mocking birds and blackbirds keep stealing them. I tried one of those feeders with the plexiglass sides and smaller holes on the ends, but my bluebirds just can’t figure it out! They don’t even notice the feeder, let alone the meal worms that keep drying out in side of it. I have been putting blueberries out on my deck, but the mockers eat those too.
Susan
PennsylvaniaWell, my husband and I are going to be moving. I guess I will try to avoid the woods!
Susan
PennsylvaniaI live in PA, and in 23 years I have only seen one tiny garter snake on my property. I just can’t imagine walking around with snakes hanging from the trees. I know they’re here in PA, I’m just glad they’re not at my house. I do have a lot of red-tailed hawks, however.
Susan
PennsylvaniaAwww! These poor birds are truly amazing with all of the challenges they face. I know I am guilty of assigning human feelings to these wild birds, but I swear my papa blue is excited to have babies to feed. He was so attentive to that first brood that we tragically lost to cars and predators. He just seems to work tirelessly for the good of mama and the babes. I am sorry your couple has so many challenges.
Susan
PennsylvaniaIt sounds very nice there. PA has also been moderating with far less snow in the winters (other than a crazy storm once in a while). My baby blues stuck around all winter last year. I have a photograph that I took in December with several babies sitting around the bird bath. We do have terribly hot weather from mid-July until September. Right now we are in a heatwave that is expected to last at least a week. I just saw mama blue take off for some food for the babies, so I took that opportunity to grab a mirror and take a peek in the house. Those dear souls have their little heads waving for food in spite of this oppressive heat. I just hope they will be okay.
Susan
PennsylvaniaI don’t know anything about owls. Is it normal for a mother to just disappear? Will the baby owlet make it on her own?
Susan
Pennsylvania
